Operation Sindoor, India’s strikes on terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack, may have been the crowning moment for Narendra Modi in the first year of his third term as Prime Minister but the year also saw a raft of key developments in the defence sector that served to boost the military’s combat readiness, officials tracking the sector said.
These include the signing of several big-ticket deals, initiating long-awaited reforms, induction of new weapons and systems, showcasing new capabilities, and bolstering border infrastructure, they said.
A key highlight of the year was the disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh last October, the last two flashpoints along the contested Line of Actual Control. The development allowed the two armies to get past a two-year impasse in negotiations and reduce border tensions that began in May 2020.
The key deals signed included a ₹63,000-crore contract with France to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the navy, another one worth ₹62,700 crore with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 156 Prachand light combat helicopters for the army and air force, a ₹13,500-crore contract for 12 Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, a ₹7,629-crore contract with Larsen & Toubro for 100 more self-propelled K9 Vajra-T guns and a ₹7,000-crore order for 307 locally made artillery guns.
One of the most significant capability enhancements came last August when the navy commissioned its second indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Arighaat — a step towards strengthening the country’s nuclear triad or ability to launch strategic weapons from land, sea and air.
Another naval milestone was the simultaneous commissioning of two warships and a submarine in Mumbai, a move that underscored the country’s pre-eminent status in indigenous shipbuilding. The navy inducted Vaghsheer, the sixth and final Kalvari-class submarine; Surat, a destroyer; and Nilgiri, a frigate — all built at the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) — on January 15.
The year also saw the induction of a locally developed air defence control and reporting system, called Akashteer, which emerged as the centrepiece of India’s air defence grid during the May-7-10 military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery duels.
It punctured multiple waves of Pakistani aerial attacks on Indian military installations, airbases and civilian areas by guaranteeing prompt detection and targeting of the incoming threats. The system was mated with the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), the beating heart of the military’s resilient, four-tiered AD shield that Pakistan couldn’t punch through.
Theaterisation — a long-awaited reform for the best use of the military’s resources to fight future wars — was also in sharp focus as India notified a new act and rules to boost jointness, command efficiency and operational synergy in the armed forces. This signalled the government’s intent to fast-track the setting up of joint services commands, a key goal of the ongoing theaterisation drive.
The government notified the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023 in the Gazette of India in May 2024, and the rules under it last month. The setting up of theatre commands for integrated application of force, operational efficiency, and optimal resource utilisation is among the nine areas identified by the defence ministry for focused intervention in 2025, which the ministry declared as the “year of reforms” in January.
Other areas include building indigenous capabilities to strengthen the armed forces, simplifying acquisition procedures for swifter capability development and new domains such as cyber and space.
India’s infrastructure push to provide year-round connectivity to the Ladakh region also got a boost. In July 2024, Modi carried out the ‘first blast’ for the Shinku La tunnel in Ladakh, aimed at providing all-weather connectivity from Manali to Leh via the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha axis. This route, the third one to Leh, will be functional in three years.
The tunnel at 15,800 ft will be the world’s highest, surpassing China’s Mila tunnel at 15,590 ft.
The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road is strategically important as it is shorter than the other two axes, and crosses only one pass , the 16,615-ft high Shinku La.
The traditional Srinagar-Leh axis is one of the two existing routes to Leh — the other being the Manali-Leh road. Neither is currently all-weather, and both remain shut for five to six months in the winter, presenting a logistics nightmare both for the armed forces and the civil administration, and impeding socio-economic development of the Ladakh region.
Another pivotal moment came on May 27 when India unveiled its long-awaited plan to fast-track the development of an indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter, or the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), announcing that the execution model will be competitive and provide equal opportunities to public and private sector firms to participate in one of the country’s most significant military projects.
The approval of the industry partnership model by defence minister Rajnath Singh was significant as HAL — the sole manufacturer of fighter jets in the country — was so far believed to be the front-runner for the prestigious project.
The model unlocks new possibilities for the local aerospace industry, including firms such as Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Larsen & Toubro, Adani Defence and Aerospace and the Mahindra Group. HAL is still a strong contender for the project.
In November 2024, INS Arighaat launched the K-4 missile for the first time and a few months later, in April, India unveiled a locally produced laser weapon that can knock out drones. India also tested its first long-range hypersonic missile, a weapon designed to deliver various payloads at ranges greater than 1,500 km.
“The steps taken by the government showcase its resolve to build robust military capabilities at a swift pace and push self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector. It is important that we chart a path towards future goals with the same clarity and momentum,” military affairs expert Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd) said.